Click here to view the other side of the Point-Counterpoint: “Four Loko is only the face of the issue”
Four Loko is a popular alcoholic drink commonly referred to as “liquid cocaine” or “blackout in a can.” The 23.5 oz. canned beverage contains 12 percent alcohol by volume and the “Four” in the name suggests the four other main ingredients; caffeine, taurine, guarana and alcohol which weigh in at 660 calories together. People think that the combination of alcohol and caffeine in the drink is so unsafe that it warrants FDA investigation and perhaps a complete ban on the product. I believe this idea is absurd; and Phusion Projects, the company that makes Four Loko, should not have to suffer as a result of stupidity of a few consumers.
The major concern regarding this drink is the fact that it contains both a depressant and a stimulant; which counteract one another. The caffeine masks the effects of the alcohol until the caffeine wears off. In simple terms, people continue to drink because they don’t feel the effects of the alcohol until much later.
As a bartender I know that one of the most popular drinks sold at the bar is Red Bull and vodka. Sure, I have to make the extra effort to mix two things together – but what the cocktail contains isn’t much different from the contents of Four Loko. Furthermore, energy drinks paired with alcohol are nothing new, especially among college students who want to let loose quickly and party all night long. There are currently similar products on the market to feed this demand, for example, Joos, Sparks and Rockstar and Vodka.
But if they can’t buy it in a can, they’ll just mix it themselves. PJ (party juice), also known as “jungle juice” or “drank,” is quite regularly served at frat parties and other house parties. This sort of drink is commonly made using two gallons of Hawaiian Punch for every one bottle of Everclear or Deisel (150-190 proof) and a case of energy drinks.
Clearly every version of this concoction differs slightly but all have the same intention of masking the taste of alcohol while getting you inebriated and keeping you wired on caffeine so you can party longer.
All too often we point fingers at others, trying to blame a larger entity for our own stupidity. We blame fast food restaurants for making us fat, we blame headphone companies for damaging our ears, and now, Four Loko is the unfortunate company being blamed for irresponsible college kids who can’t handle their alcohol and whine and complain about it. As an individual, you are responsible for what you choose to put in your body. If you are unsure as to what a product contains and you have any concerns regarding that product, you should look at the nutrition facts on the back of the can before you ingest it.
Four Loko should not be banned simply because people aren’t using it properly. If I smack someone across the back of their head with a book and it catches on and other people start doing it, do books become unsafe? I’m sick of being babied by administrations telling me what I can and can not do or possess. They are slowly stripping down our right to make our own decisions because they think they know what is best for us. I’m a grown independent women capable of making my own decisions, and if I choose to drink a Four Loko, that should be up to me.
The fact is, it is an alcoholic drink, which in the United States means you must be 21-years-old in order to purchase it. In the U.S. you are considered an adult at the age of 18, and then have three extra years to mature before you are allowed to purchase and drink alcohol. By that time, you should be smart enough to know how you react to alcohol, and if you don’t, you’ll have to deal with the repercussions – and that’s no ones problem but you’re own.
The reason it is so popular amongst college kids is very simple. It is economically practical; it has a variety of nine fruity flavors that are appealing to those who may not like the taste of beer or harder alcohol and it gets you drunk quickly and allows you to feel more awake. To us, it makes more sense to throw down five bucks for a couple of cans that will last the weekend than to purchase a 30 dollar bottle of alcohol, some cartons of juice of soda to mix it with, some ice and don’t forget the red solo cup! Clearly Phusion Projects has found a product that suits our desires, and with one can, you’re well on your way to one hell of a night.
Let’s face it: College kids drink to get drunk. Four Loko is not a drink that you serve in a wine glass at a fancy dinner party, nor is it a drink you play pong with. Each beverage has its purpose and the purpose of Four Loko’s is to get you “nice” quickly, and as far as I’m concerned, the drink meets its job expectations.
Stacey Linehan is a Collegian columnist. She can be reached at [email protected].
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Maura Anderson • Nov 5, 2010 at 11:35 am
I mostly agree with you. Four Loko is only really dangerous in large quantities, and for the most part college students who have been passing out or blacking out because of it have had several Four Lokos in a relatively small amount of time. Furthermore, I am guessing there is a strong correlation between those who have been abusing Four Loko and those who generally abuse any alcoholic drink. And as I believe strongly in personal responsibility, I agree that it is up to individuals to drink responsibly.
However, I take issue with the following statement:
“In the U.S. you are considered an adult at the age of 18, and then have three extra years to mature before you are allowed to purchase and drink alcohol. By that time, you should be smart enough to know how you react to alcohol, and if you don’t, you’ll have to deal with the repercussions – and that’s no ones problem but you’re [sic] own.”
This is inherently contradictory – you’re saying that
1) Legal age laws give teens three extra years after age 18 to mature while not being allowed to purchase or drink alcohol, and;
2) During those three years, teens are supposed to have learned how they react to alcohol.
You cannot use the law as evidence to back up your claim – that those in the age bracket of 18-21 are in a position where they can learn how to drink responsibly, and that if they don’t it’s their problem. By the very fact that their “learning” is within an illegal context, I very much doubt that they are learning how to drink responsibly – at least not all of them.
But the most important part of your claim is that because they have learned how to drink responsibly in the three years it was illegal for them to do so, it is only their problem to deal with the repercussions of their actions.
Jochen Weber (comment before mine) made a really good point – other peoples’ lives are not exempt from any repercussions that might result from an abuse of Four Loko. To say that it is only for the person who abuses to deal with the results of that abuse is naive. I think Weber gave a few excellent examples of how one person’s decision can affect others, and provided one avenue through which the problem of Four Loko and alcohol abuse can be targeted: education. It is not perfect, it is expensive, and it is slow. But to ban a product because some college students are either intentionally or unintentionally abusing it does not tackle the real problem – it is just scratching the surface.
The real problem is alcohol abuse in general – and if we want to actually fix the underlying problems, we have to stop focusing on the very surface of it.
Cocore • Nov 5, 2010 at 6:02 am
Sure alcohol puts other peoples lives at risk when you are driving, but so does taking any substance that impairs mental and or physical ability ( prescription drugs, marijuana, and even cough medicine ). You are an adult at the age of 18 and are able to purchase and consume alcohol at the age of 21 in the United States. There is enough information pushed upon us through High School that would should know what we are getting into. But, sadly enough most people are dumb asses, educated or not. Maybe more information would help young people, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t just going to do what they want to do anyway. The real problem is that we have young idiot celebrities with no education from broken homes at the age of 18-25 making millions upon millions of dollars showing us how many times they can break the law. Oh yeah, and Lil’ Wayne is worse than any role model out there. He does all of these things while making the world dumber one verse at a time. Four Loko shouldn’t be put out of business because people are retarded. I say we shut down the real problem, not the companies that make the beverages. People are gonna drink if they wanna drink. It doesn’t matter what it is, they are still gonna get hammered. THEY ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE!!! If your not on honor roll, THAT’S WHAT YOUR DOING!!!
Jochen Weber • Nov 4, 2010 at 11:30 pm
May I just ask what the author’s feeling might be like if she put herself in the situation of someone who has lost a loved one in a car accident caused by one of those college kids who simply didn’t anticipate how hard those drinks hit?
I’m not for banning this, I’d rather do some education. But as education is more expensive (and, as with other topics, such as how to or rather not to engage in, say, safer sex, education is also less desirable in many people’s minds it seems), banning such drinks seems the next best solution to *secure the general public* from the consequences.
If, as with many other drugs, only the user him- or herself would be affected, sure, let’s make people their own decisions. But with alcohol, other people’s lives are at stake as well, in which case the government not only has the right but also the mandate to protect those who think it is reckless to drink to a degree where you lose control.
And, just as a side thought, don’t you think it’s a little strange that people always say they “need” alcohol to party? Is that really the message you want to put out there? Without a drink you can’t have fun? Really?